NieR Automata: Cryptic Puzzle
by 0erbayunFang
Summary: *MAJOR SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL!* Certain moments from the perspectives of 2B, 9S and A2 respectively. Hints of romance, coarse language, and death.
1. Vague Hope

_**A/N: I just couldn't resist when this idea popped into my head, fully formed. I'm in love with the NieR series. I was a shameless shipper of** **Kainé and Nier (still am, actually), and now Automata's out I've become even more shameless, and now ship 2B and 9S. Good lord they're beautiful together. It's not faaaaaaiiiiiiir.**_

 _ **As I said in the description, this contains MAJOR spoilers for endings A, B, C, D and E. If you haven't gotten that far into the story, DON'T READ THIS! GO BACK NOW!**_

 _ **As for those of you who have seen all endings, then I invite you to continue reading. See you at the bottom!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Jeez, I WISH the NieR series was mine. Thank you, Cavia, CriWare, Squeenix and Platinum Games!**_

 **Cryptic Puzzle**

 **Vague Hope**

2B had always been the one to suffer in silence. It was something she, after years and years of war and killing, had become very skilled at.

The cycle stayed true. Every time, she would be partnered with the unit known as 9S. She would always try to remain aloof; cold, even. She would erect walls around her metal heart to stop him from working his way in.

But always, he would find a way through. He, with his human-like personality, his naïveté, the way he would do his best to watch out for her too, despite being only a Scanner model. The littlest things would begin to make her smile; his laughter, the way he saw the world.

The way he saw _her_.

And even though YoRHa androids were forbidden to bear emotions, she bore them in secret. In silence. By this point in time, it was the only way she could cope, could bear the weight of it all.

By the end, all she wanted was to be 2B. _His_ 2B. To be allowed to show him who she was, who she desperately wanted to be. She didn't want to keep being 2E, didn't want to keep killing the one she cared for the most.

Even she had a breaking point. If pushed much further, she would become the unit she came across in the city ruins with 9S, the one who repeatedly wiped her own memories before going mad completely. And she could feel it. Every time she had to kill 9S, she felt something inside of her break apart, shatter into pieces that couldn't be picked up or put back together.

Killing her friends, killing…just killing. She couldn't take much more.

Could the people around her sense it? Sense her stress, her anguish, hidden just under her skin, the cool and composed front she always put out?

And 9S was smart. Much smarter than the average Scanner model, and too curious for his own good. She knew, with every fibre of her physical body, that he would one day figure it out.

And she would have to kill him once more.

Was this the reason why the Commander was constantly keeping her busy, putting her on missions down on the surface, so that she could distract herself with wiping out the enemy?

No thinking, no worrying. Just fighting.

Fighting…with 9S by her side.

 _E…for Execution._

" _Never forget your mission."_

 _My mission…I…_

Memories flooded her mind.

 _9S…I want…I mean…_

* * *

Overwhelming rage flowed through her system as she gripped her sword.

At first, when she stepped into the elevator for the Copied City, she didn't know what to expect and she didn't much care. All she did care about was finding 9S and bringing him home. As she ran through the bone-white streets, ignoring the corpses that were strewn about everywhere she looked, one thing kept her going.

 _9S…I'll find you. I promise. I promise._

And now, the machine Adam was in her way.

"Welcome…to my beloved city." The white cubes floated benignly around him as he bowed mockingly in her direction.

"I – or we machine lifeforms, I suppose – have a keen interest in humanity."

2B ran towards him, but he teleported to the other side of the clearing in a whirl of light, all the while continuing to talk.

"Love. Family. Religion. War. The more human records I unearth, the more charmed I am by their complexity. This city is one of many areas I created out of a desire to know – to understand – humans. It's grand, don't you think? Almost…spiritual." He grinned. "And yet it's currently no more than an android graveyard!"

2B fought not to react to his spiel, but he suddenly darted towards her and began to attack. "I seek to learn and adopt all facets of humanity! Some desired love! Others family!"

2B darted backwards and to the side, successfully evading the cubes he manipulated. _Just shut up and let me get to you…!_

"Only then did I realise the truth…" he continued, never stopping his speech even when dodging or teleporting away. "The core of humanity…is conflict. They fight. Steal. Kill. THIS is humanity in its purest form!" He lashed out as she darted closer, sweeping a kick in her direction, but she dodged before he could land a hit, and she landed her own. He staggered back slightly, and a dome of energy surrounded him.

2B gritted her teeth, glaring daggers at the machine from underneath her military visor. "You know nothing about humanity," she replied as she stepped backwards and used her Pod to fire at him.

Adam laughed, the energy dissipating. "Have I offended you, little android? Did I speak ill of your beloved humans?"

 _Yes_. But she would never say that aloud.

"The truth can be so painful. I strive to obtain nothing less that the essence of humanity itself. We machines exist in a connected network. We are immortal. Invincible."

2B scoffed inwardly. _Invincible? Yeah, right._

"And yet, within all those infinite bits of data, there exists not even the merest flicker of being. Of life. Death…even the concept of death…has no meaning to us."

And then, in the middle of the fight, he dropped all pretences and said something that momentarily shocked her.

"Thus, I decided… that I shall risk my life in battle." White cubes floated around him as he stood before her, calm and collected. He lifted his hands, swaying them as the cubes followed his movements – and then dropped to the ground. 2B, having been ready for another attack, lowered her weapon, eyes wide. "I have severed my connection to the network. Now…let us embrace death!"

2B parried his attacks, landing some of her own in a whirl of light and blade. After a time, she darted backwards, away from Adam. "I don't have time for you. I need…to find 9S!"

Her driving force. Her reason to fight. _9S…I know you're here somewhere…_

"Ah, 9S…" Adam began to chuckle at her words. That chuckle escalated into pure, mocking laughter, and 2B narrowed her eyes. Taking advantage of his distraction, she launched herself forward, striking a whirling left kick into his chest. He staggered back, hand and knee hitting the floor as he tried to stay upright. Balancing on that one knee, he straightened his back, closing his eyes and smiling. "Oh…I do enjoy this…"

He extended his arms – and began to float, higher and higher until 2B had to crane her neck and lift her chin to keep him in her sight. A section of wall caved outwards, revealing a male YoRHa unit staked inside in what looked horribly like an attempt at crucifixion. And he looked very much like…

Recognition hit her like a bag of bricks. She staggered forward, emotion whirling within her. "9S!"

Crystallised silicon carbide stakes jutted out from his open wrists, his knees, legs and feet; a few randomly placed through his body. His blood stained his clothing, his head bowed down, and even from below she could hear his ragged, shallow breaths.

Reaching forward, Adam grasped his chin. "I prepared this just for you!" he cried, loud enough for her to hear him. He swivelled 9S's head to face him. "I mean, after all…we all need something to fight for, don't we?"

The sight of 9S in danger, in pain…and Adam got a kick out of it all. 2B all but quaked with rage as she heard 9S's groans of agony. "You son of a – I'll _kill you!_ " She bent double, the sheer power of her anger forcing growls from her throat she didn't know herself capable of.

Adam turned at lighting speed, abandoning 9S and focusing on 2B below him. "Yes!" he sneered, his face contorting into something different, something ugly. "That's it! That's the feeling… _pure hate_!"

As his piercing laughter echoed in her ears, she ground her teeth, her jaw locking as she fought to control herself. But all she saw was red. And in her vision, his figure was a deep, pure crimson as he dropped to the ground, landing with a thud. "Come, 2B!" he cried, flinging his arms wide.

She ran toward him, releasing a jagged cry as she laid into him with her blades, slipping smoothly from one weapon to the other despite her hate. Her Pod rained heavy fire down upon him as she ducked and wove her way around, over and below his strikes, her anger a powerful weapon.

As he manipulated powerful pillars of light her way in a desperate attempt to push her back, 2B dove underneath and used all her strength to plunge her pristine white blade deep into his stomach, twisting it as he cried out. He reached for her, caressing the back of her head, embracing her figure. "Is this…death…?" She gritted her teeth and forced the weapon out through his side. He moaned and collapsed at her feet, his blood soaking her and the ground below.

"So dark…so col…d…"

Once she was sure he was dead, she raced forward towards her fallen comrade, who had fallen from the wall to the floor below. "9S…" She stroked his cheek, carefully turning his head so he could see her as she pulled him into her arms.

"2B…" he croaked, his voice ragged.

"Come on. Let's go home," she whispered. A smile crossed his face, and he nodded. 2B couldn't help but smile back at him as she gently lifted him off of the silicon carbide floor, her arms effortlessly supporting his weight as the wall blocking their way crumbled to nothingness.

Did she love him then?...

 **…**

"Please, 2B…I need you…to do this…for me…"

The corruption, the virus, was forcing its way through his system, crawling up his physical body. His eyes glowed red, but part of him still remained, the sane part, the part she loved.

And he was asking her to kill him.

The abandoned factory, the copied city…didn't hurt nearly as much as this.

With both their military visors off, 2B could see the pain in his eyes. He didn't want this either. He didn't want to say goodbye. For him, this was only the first time he was experiencing death at her hands.

For her, it was pointless to count.

She gritted her teeth. She knelt down on top of him, straddling him, as her hands first caressed his cheeks, then wound their way around his throat, almost of their own volition – and squeezed.

 _Don't let him see your tears. Don't let him see how much this hurts you._

From her peripheral vision, she saw his hand reach up for her face. His eyes, as the life left them, were full of adoration, and, dare she think it, _love_. Whether it was familial or something more, she didn't want to know. Didn't want to think about it.

His hand hit the ground. His eyes were blank as they fluttered closed. His beautiful blue eyes.

2B hugged his still-warm body close to her, and wept. She wept for him, for all the people who had died around her, and for herself. She sobbed, her voice sounding broken even to her own ears. "It always…ends like this…"

 _I never want to see another pair of eyes again._

Her tears hit his face.

She didn't know she could cry.

The tears stung her eyes and throat. Her chest convulsed with the strength of her sobs. She briefly wondered if her sobs could be heard throughout the city ruins, and promptly decided that in this moment, she didn't care. She didn't give a good goddamn about anything else. All she could feel was anguish.

She had lost him. The 9S that had existed in this moment was gone forever.

And it was the machines' fault. No, it was _this goddamn war…that had raged for far too long._

Beeping sounds forced her to look up. Across from her was a machine's head, its eyes glowing green. On and off and on again. "There's still…some alive…?"

She snapped.

Forcing her tired and broken body upright, she grabbed what was left of her broken white sword. She staggered towards the hateful machine head that was obnoxious enough to stay alive while 9S was dead.

"Goddamn…machines!" she screamed, raising her sword high.

Just before she brought her sword down and through the machine head, other heads all around her began doing the same thing. Eyes glowing green. Off and on and off again. Almost like…

"Is this…a message?" 2B asked to no-one. "The data transmissions…they're resonating with each other…"

And it wasn't just in the crater. As she looked around, she could see green sparks of life above her, around her, wherever she looked. Despite herself, she began to hope. _Could this be…?_

 _No. He can't have…he's…_

A sound behind her had her whirling around to find its source, only to see it was a goliath-class machine freeing itself from a pile of scrap.

 _No! I won't let you…!_

She raised her weapon once more –

"Wait a second! 2B!"

 _She knew that voice..._

"Who are…?" But she knew. She knew even before he said anything else. She knew that voice. It was him.

9S had survived after all.

And as he babbled about documenting the experience of being in so many minds on the machine network, and multiplexing the data for when he eventually returned to his own body, 2B just smiled.

"9S…I'm glad you're alright."

 _Don't you dare scare me like that again._

Relief had washed the madness away, and all that was left was overwhelming emotion. Her heart beat at a steady rhythm once more, ready to overflow with warmth.

All for him. For his sake.

She never wanted to leave his side again.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Aaaand, done! Next chapter will have something from 9S's POV, so watch this space for more! I am quite hopeful that all the hype for Automata will generate a little more love for Nier, as well. Because that game is also quite beautiful. And soul-crushing. And heart-wrenching. And mind-fucking. Yeah, I could go on and on with these two games.**_

 _ **Until next time!**_


	2. Possessed By A Disease

_**A/N: I know, it's been awhile. I'm so sorry this was kept from you all for so long. But I didn't have any access to the Internet until recently (we just moved to a new residence and I'm a hop, skip and a jump away from my mother's place, which is where I currently reside, typing this author's note), so until that's all set up I'll be making regular trips to friends' and mum's places to quietly borrow a smidge of Internet to upload with.**_

 _ **So anyway! Reviews! I'm so happy I got so many! Honestly I was expecting a quarter of what I ended up getting. Gosh that makes me a happy author. Below are the anon review replies. :)**_

 _ **Guest: I'm so happy you liked it! Rest assured that there will be more to come. :)**_

 _ **TTY7: I loved writing that part. I just adore writing about these two in general. I'm happy I was able to allow you to feel something for this story; it's what I always try to do! There's no way I'm going to stop this til it's done. I hope I can inspire you to keep reviewing :P**_

 _ **LittleEcho: That scene was so tragic in-game, I'm so happy I could do it justice for you! I'm really looking forward to writing more, I've already got a few things planned.**_

 _ **Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and to my silent readers! All of you are just the best.**_

* * *

 **Possessed By A Disease**

* * *

9S had always been curious. He always wanted to see the world from a different point of view, always wanted to know more about the world they lived and fought in, and especially wanted to know more about the people around him.

Everyone around him knew his eccentricities, but the only one he thought actually accepted him for those eccentricities was 2B.

He noticed her before, knew of her, before being assigned as her comrade in the Abandoned Factory. Of course, he did. They were the newest YoRHa models, after all, and already her reputation as an exceptional battle unit had spread to everyone on the Bunker. Every so-often he would see her, lightly jogging from place to place, as if she always had somewhere important to be. Time moved slowly on the Bunker, so he had not much to do, apart from his missions down on the surface, except to analyse the people he saw.

And then came the mission to scout the enemy's factory for weaknesses. His first run though, he found evidence of goliath-class machines and anti-air weaponry. The next run, he had memories of a peculiar machine trying to revive his 'brother' with oil, the combat team breaking the stratosphere, of hacking in and dismantling the anti-air weaponry, and of hurrying through a large pipe to get to the last unit left alive – and after that was a huge gap in his memory he couldn't account for.

Later, he was told that he had teamed up with 2B and fought their way through the abandoned factory, she on the ground, he in the air, to find and destroy the goliath-class machine there, only to find three more surrounding them. He was told that it was his idea to put their black boxes together in order to wipe them out, destroying himself and 2B in the process. Furthermore, he discovered that he had uploaded 2B's memory bank to the bunker before his own. That, he later surmised, was probably due to the lack of sufficient bandwidth necessary to upload his own in time as well.

But he never felt any emotion for her, not until after that mission.

It had started with his first scheduled maintenance check with her. She had communicated, after he had restored her voice recognition, that his voice was soothing and had calming effects on her. Right after that was said, his heart rate began to spike, and he hadn't the faintest clue why.

Ever since then, he endeavoured to get to know her more, to understand why it was that she put up such effective barriers against emotion…and to understand why she brought out that sort of reaction within him.

* * *

"Hey, 2B?"

They were in the Forest Area, had just encountered another Lunar Tear for Emil, and they had stopped to take a breather before they called him to let him know. 9S leant against the damp rock wall, uncaring of his clothing. They would dry later on.

"Yes?" 2B glanced in his direction.

9S struggled past the sudden knot in his throat. Clearing his throat somewhat awkwardly, he asked, "This flower…do you…" he shook his head, determined to speak. What was wrong with him? "Would you say it's beautiful?"

2B paused as if to consider his question, and his heart rate spiked. Suddenly, he was anxious to hear her answer.

 _Is this some kind of malfunction? I'll have to run a maintenance check to be sure._

"Objectively speaking," began 2B, and 9S was shocked out of his thoughts. He willed his body to calm. They weren't in the middle of battle. It was just 2B…just 2B… "they are quite beautiful."

"Y-you really think so?"

"…" 2B paused. As 9S searched her face for a sign of discomfort, he noticed a faint trace of colour on her cheeks.

 _Don't humans call that…blush?_ 9S was flustered by this, by the warm, fuzzy feeling building in his chest. Eventually, he smiled at her, and was rewarded with a twitch of her lips in return, the hints of a tiny smile forming.

 _She's so…so_ beautiful _when she smiles…_

"I wonder…why do they glow?" asked 9S, eager to continue this moment. He never wanted to stop talking to her.

"In the old world, there was a legend. I remember Operator 6O telling me…" 2B paused, as if to gather her thoughts, before continuing. "They supposedly had the power to grant wishes. Or so humanity believed."

 _The power to grant wishes…_

9S lost himself in thought, the only sounds other than their breaths being the waterfall not one hundred metres away, and the call of the wildlife.

 _2B…I…I wish you knew how much I…how much I want to stay with you._

"9S?"

Her call brought him back to reality. "Yeah?"

"We should probably call this in." She tilted her head towards the lunar tear.

"Oh. Right." 9S brought up the window on his HUD, and almost immediately Emil answered.

"Hey guys! What's up?"

* * *

 _Where…am I?_

9S looked around him, and recognised that he was within hacking space.A labyrinthine space stretching as far as he could see, with small hacking nodes interspersed throughout. Slowly, slowly, he made his way to the closest one to him and began to hack.

 _I…am 9S. That's all I can remember. Large portions of my memory may have been destroyed…_

 _Wait. What if I forget everything? My memories? My_ self _? My…_

 _Okay, calm down. Calm down, calm down, calm down._

 _Just follow the emergency manual and execute the memory recovery program._

The recovery program slowly began to fill in the blanks in his memory. _The Bunker…2B's plan…that colossal machine lifeform…the last-resort missile strike…_

 _Preservation mode was activated at the moment of the blast. It halted most of the safeties the network had in place._

 _Wait a minute…it was the EMP blast! It hooked me up to the machine network somehow too…_

Having finally obtained an answer, and with most of his memory restored thanks to the recovery program, 9S began to explore the machine network while simultaneously trying to re-establish contact with the outside world – only to be blocked by…something. _Why can't I…restore a link to my body?_

… _Welp, I guess there's nothing else to do other than examine the surrounding memory space._ Somewhat confused, but now with a solid goal in mind, he worked his way over to the next hacking node and established a link, drawing its information into a separate file. _Hmm…looks like the machines stored a lot of information in here. Though it seems pretty random…_

Upon closer inspection, 9S discovered a link between the seemingly random bits of information stored within the node. _There's a lot of old-world information in here…data on human history and philosophy. Wait… what's that next to those?_ He examined the data package next to the old-world information and was shocked to find that it pertained machine records. _They…tried to form their own government?_

 _And not just once. There's archives of democracies, republics and absolute monarchies made by different groups of machines…_ And that wasn't all. It appeared they also engaged in other scholarly pursuits such as philosophy, mathematics, science and social criticism. Almost as if the network was copying every possible human behaviour and discipline it could find.

 _The machines are…imitating humans?_ But the more he thought about it, the more the machines' behaviour in the desert, as well as the peculiar golden models' actions, began to make more sense.

 _So they really weren't just spouting random words…I had a feeling after Simone, but I guess I just didn't want to believe it. But…why would they do that?_

Heavily perplexed now, 9S found another node and dove in, digging as deep as he could. _There's no evidence here that the machines ever tried to form new cultures or values on their own. They only ever imitated what human behaviour they could find._ And the strange thing was, if a unit ever failed, it did so in the very same way that it did before. 9S found a video file of a machine planting crops, and as he watched it fail again and again, he found no signs that the unit ever learned from its mistake. It just continued to try.

And that was the key. They never learned.

 _But in combat, the machines show overwhelming adaptive behaviour and evolutionary speed. So why do they insist on imitating humans? And why only their failures? Almost as if…the objective is failure in itself._

9S detected a change in the data. _A movement or something?_ He honed his perception, and heard a distant voice.

"I…I annou…"

9S focused harder.

"…all androids…"

 _There's something there. Something clearly intelligent. Are they…talking?_ He manoeuvred his way through the maze-like space more quickly now. The closer he got, the louder the voice became.

"I announce…to all…androids…"

9S stopped where he was. The voice grew clear in his mind, and he recognised it.

It was Adam.

"We machine lifeforms have evolved," he said. "We made war. Learned. Grew. And thus, we gained a new consciousness. Indeed, it is as if a new form of existence has been born."

 _Lies! Nothing but lies from mere machines!_

Adam laughed. "And yet you androids claim to be alive? How very odd. You are puppets that lack even your own free will."

 _No! You're wrong!_

Adam's words wormed their way into his mind like a parasite. "How am I wrong, boy?"

 _I'm… We're…_

"Perhaps you have a will after all," he said, chuckling. "Perhaps you have desires."

Now that he was there, 9S could not get away from Adam's lecherous voice. He could only stay where he was and listen for his next words.

"Now you see, boy! The meaning of life…is hatred!"

 _You're wrong._ 9S found his voice again.

"A vile hatred slumbers within the depths of your heart."

 _You're WRONG!_

"The more you try to hide it, the more that darkness grows."

 _Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!_

 _Dammit…We were made to protect mankind…We're not the same as you machines!_

"All who live are slaves to desire. Such internal appetites are what give our lives meaning. Some seek beauty. Others serenity. For me, hatred is the – "

 _I'm not like that!_

Adam laughed long and hard. "Oh, yes you are. You do not trust anything. You want to destroy everything. You have lost hope in everything. You want to obtain everything. You want to be loved by all…"

An image of 2B came unbidden to his mind. 2B…her beauty, her grace…

"You're thinking about how much you want to **** 2B, aren't you?"

If 9S had a body about then, he would have most certainly felt his heart rate spike and his face colour. _Of…of course not!_

"Reality stained by lies."

 _Stop! Stop it!_

"Hatred pouring into you."

 _You're wrong, damn it!_

"Overflowing desire." _I'm…I'm not like you!_ "Your true self."

 _We're not…the same…stop it…stop it…_

 _It's not my fault, okay?!_ The virtual world began to dissolve around him. _Dammit…I…I…_

9S couldn't see very well anymore. The world was nothing more than pixels. He could barely hear his own broken thoughts, pleading for it all to stop. For help.

 _Help…me…_

" _Each of the machines treated their treasures with great care."_

 _Is that…my voice…?_

" _One treasured family above all else. Another treasured its older sibling. Another treasured its own beauty. But one more machine treasured something unique above all else… Hate."_

…

The first thing he was aware of when he came to was pain. Pain in his limbs, his physical body…and pain in his heart.

 _2B…_

Almost as if triggered by his silent prayer, he heard her voice, felt her embrace. His whole body tingled where she held him, and he felt his heart constrict…felt a pull below his navel, one that seemed to lead right to her.

 _Is this…desire? Or something else…? I can't tell…_

"9S…let's go home…"

Home sounded…good. 9S barely managed to nod his head, a pained smile gracing his lips. He knew that she would be able to fend off his nightmares, his fears; chase away the lingering voice of Adam in his head. Just as he wanted to do for her. He wanted to protect her, wanted…many things.

 _Oh, 2B…with you, I_ am _home…_

 _I just wish you felt the same._

* * *

 ** _A/N: Done! Okay, now that's done I'm gonna quickly reward myself by watching Helloween's amazing playthrough of NieR: Automata! Seriously guys, you should look up his Let's Plays. They really are a treat to watch, especially his NieR runs (both the first and second!). Full user ID on YouTube is Helloween4545. Now go! Enjoy!_**

 ** _And don't worry about the next chapter, it should take me much less time to get to you than this one did. Again, I'm so sorry! I usually have a hard time sticking to an upload schedule, unfortunately, but I'm really trying, I promise! And for my other stories, too. It's just...hard. I promised I wouldn't ever abandon a story, and I'm trying to adhere to that promise, but my headspace sometimes just screws with me. I'm so different as a writer than what I was, and that doesn't help either. But I'm never going to stop writing. Especially with such a good audience on my side!_**

 ** _Sorry for the insane Author's Note. Virtual cookies for anyone who watches Weenie with me! :)_**

 ** _Fang out._**


	3. Bipolar Nightmare

_**A/N: Another chapter, here at last! I'm so incredibly sorry this one was late (again! Curses!), I promise I have a good reason; I just feel like it's personal enough not to mention to an entire fandom, if that makes sense? Basically, I was an emotional mess due to reasons. That's all you need to know, unless you're someone I feel like I can trust, in which case...maybe I'll let you know when you review. You never know. Although I doubt very much you'd want to know my personal story, y'know?**_

 _ **Ahh, screw it.**_

 _ **Okay, now for Anon review replies! Just one this time around. I'm a little disappointed, but whatever. It's okay. I'll just hope for better this time around! Of course it'll be better...right? ;_;**_

 _ **Ember: I promise you, I'm planning on it. Actually, it's gonna happen sometime within the next two chapters. So yay! Nutso!9S will be here very soon :)**_

 _ **Alright, story time! Read on ^_^**_

* * *

 **Bipolar Nightmare**

* * *

A2 had always loathed machine lifeforms, even before she was sent on that fateful mission to Pearl Harbor. Yet the more she went on, killing machines for the sake of her comrades-cum-friends, the more loss she experienced at the hands of the aliens' advance fighting force, and the more her neutral personality twisted into a surly, depressive state. And the more little things would spark her ire.

How dare they pretend emotion? How dare they act like humans? How _dare_ they think themselves worthy of life, when they deserve none? How _dare they?_

A2. Attacker number 2. She knew she was only an experimental unit, designed specifically so YoRHa could design other, better, stronger units. They all knew. And yet…the truth, when she eventually learned of it, was far more painful than she could ever have imagined.

That was when they sent the first of the pursuit androids after her.

What choice had she, other than to fight back? It was her life or theirs, and she knew what she preferred.

Their dying screams echoed in her ears, and they haunted her still.

Sometimes she wondered whether or not any of her other comrades survived. She knew that there was little chance of her fellow YoRHa units remaining online, nor was she certain of any of the other Resistance members. Whenever she thought about her fellow comrades-in-arms, her heart clenched inside of her. She wanted nothing more than to return to their sides. But there was one thing she had to do first.

She wouldn't go down easily, not without taking out as many of those machine bastards as she could beforehand.

* * *

A2 jolted into a sitting position from her place on the forest floor. Breathing heavily, she slowly got to her feet.

 _Screw them for giving us the power to dream._ Throwing the memories of her dream aside, she summoned her sword. It was the latest model, Type 4O. She had acquired it, and the other, larger blade at her back, from the latest pack of pursuit androids. The guilt still gnawed at her.

 _In another life, they would have been my comrades. My friends, even._

But it was far too late to turn back now.

Sighing, A2 headed for the castle in the distance. It was time to put an end to this so-called "Forest King".

She sprinted through the forest, past the giant trees, vaulting over the oversized rocks and roots and through the machine lifeforms that dared to stand in her way. Over a ruined stone support she went, into a wide area filled with ruined pillars and wide archways. She dispatched the few machines in armor milling about and ran over another fallen stone support into the castle entryway, passing a 'cleverly' disguised YoRHa transporter as she did so. As she looked back, she saw two figures clad in black making their way over the same path she did. Thankfully, they were cut off by more machine lifeforms making their way out of the forested area above them.

 _That was close._ Quickly, she scanned the castle wall before her, looking for a way up. She only needed a few hand- and foot-holes; she could jump the rest. She was only here for the Forest King; every other machine would most likely be wiped out by the other units behind her before they caught up.

Jumping smoothly from one hand-hold to another, A2 flipped herself up and over the ledge and into the throne room – and stared in astonishment.

There, not five feet from her, was a small crib made entirely out of metal. Inside, she could hear robotic cooing noises. Slowly, she walked towards the crib and peered carefully inside.

It was a tiny machine baby. Its head whipped quickly from side to side, its eyes a neutral amber colour. It even had a little pacifier where its mouth should have been. Despite herself, A2 hesitated, looking at the tiny thing with a look of astonishment on her face.

"This tiny thing…is their Forest King? They gave all their loyalty to a machine baby…" A2 stood there, trying to puzzle it out.

Why would the aliens even create such a thing? It wasn't able to fight, that much was obvious. It wasn't at all useful, not in a functional army. A2 blinked, and the tiny machine made little laughing sounds. Despite herself, she was charmed.

"It's kind of cute…"

 _No! Focus, A2! This thing is a machine lifeform, a being collectively responsible for the murder of your comrades! It deserves to die!_

A2 gripped her sword tightly, ready to plunge it into the crib, when she heard a commotion outside the royal chamber.

"Don't give them a single inch!"

"You will not go any further!

"For the sake of our king!"

" _For the sake of our king!"_

 _Shit…_ A2 jumped up and grabbed one of the rafters in the roof, flipping smoothly up on top of it just as the two YoRHa units she'd noticed before ran into the room. She held her breath.

One of them looked to be a Scanner model. He was completely perplexed by the crib in front of him, just as she was.

And the other…

 _She looks just like me…_ thought A2. _Right down to the beauty mark on the chin. If I still had a visor like hers…_

A2 shook her head, lowering her hand from her chin, where her beauty mark rested. All three of them needed to die if she was to escape safely. Bracing herself, she made the leap down, right next to the crib, and plunged her sword deep.

The robotic noises ceased at last.

A2 flicked the tiny corpse off of the end of her blade, and slowly turned towards the two YoRHa units.

"2B! That's…an android! A _YoRHa_ type android!" exclaimed the Scanner, surprise evident on his face.

 _Wait…so they're not after me…?_

A2 stood there, still facing them, confused. _If they're surprised to see me here, then they mustn't be after me. But then…why the hell are they here?_ Uneasy, she shifted into a combative stance, sword gripped tightly in hand.

The little floating thing next to the combat android spoke. "Alert: this android is currently wanted by YoRHa. Annihilation recommended."

 _Little bastard._

"Annihilation? But why?" asked the Scanner.

"Let's go, 9S," said 2B dispassionately.

"2B!"

 _Heh. She's pretty serious. In another life, I'd get along with her pretty well._

2B chose that moment to rush her, white sword drawn. A2 easily parried her strike and countered with a swipe of her own. 2B backed out of the way and then 9S was upon her, black blade clashing against her own.

 _Wait a second…Scanners aren't supposed to be able to use melee weapons, right? This…makes no sense._ A2 charged them, knocking them both backwards, and swung her heavy sword at them both. They both blocked her strike, and A2 continued to bear down on them, trying to break through their guard. They all jumped backwards, sizing each other up.

 _I won't be able to last if I keep this up. I'm gonna have to bail._ A2 backed her way to the place where she climbed up, but before she could leave, 9S stopped her.

"Why…why did you betray us?"

A2 sighed. "Command is the one who betrayed you." Turning, she jumped from the edge, landing on the stairs leading into the castle proper. Somewhat elated that she didn't have to kill them after all, she sprinted away.

 _ **…**_

Right after she left the Forest Area, A2 ran at a light jog through the commercial district and wandered the City Ruins for a little while, unsure of where she would go next. She felt on edge, something she wasn't used to anymore. Maybe a little killing spree would help to calm her emotions.

Making her way to the middle of the ruins, not too far away from the Resistance Camp, A2 jumped on top of the long-rusted truck and, from there, jumped up to grasp the edge of the ruined concrete bridge that would take her to vicinity of the Abandoned Factory. The more machine lifeforms she killed there, the more likely it was that their production would slow for a short while. Maybe she would even find the master controls and shut down the damned thing for good. _That_ would be beyond satisfying.

The whole place smelled of rust and oil. A2 wrinkled her nose as she entered the factory, immediately running into a gaggle of machines milling about the small room. Giving a jagged war cry, A2 laid into them, utterly destroying them in the process. The deeper she moved into the factory, the more machines she encountered, and the more destruction she wrought. And the more machines she killed, the more it gave her a sense of serenity.

It didn't matter that this feeling was only temporary. It didn't matter that she was alone. It didn't matter that her friends were no longer there to keep her company or counsel. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered except the killing of the lifeforms that had destroyed her miserable excuse of a life and taken her comrades in the process.

But if she were being completely honest with herself, she would realise that she was lying.

A last, desperate act of mental self-preservation, to protect her mind from total annihilation.

 _Screw that little fucking floating thing. Screw those YoRHa goons. Screw the Bunker! Damn Command! Damn those extinct humans! Damn them! Damn them! Damn them all to the deepest pits of hell where they belong!_

A2 didn't notice the tears that streamed down her cheeks until she had returned from her murderous rage. And even then, she ignored them entirely.

She didn't deserve to cry when she was the one who had let her entire team down.

 _Soon, I'll atone. Soon, I'll join you all, in a world that must be brighter than this one._

It was this hope, this belief, that, despite what she thought, had been enough to keep her alive all these years.

A2 looked up towards the sky. _Someday soon…I promise._

* * *

 ** _A/N: I know, the chapter was a little short. I'm sorry. But seeing as A2 isn't very visible during the first half of the game, and the most we have is speculation as to what she did while 2B and 9S were wandering around doing missions and causing general mayhem, I did the best with what I had, sticking as much to canon as I could. Since we knew A2 went to the Abandoned Factory sometime after she killed teeny machine baby King, I made that the second scene from her POV._**

 ** _Shameless advertising time! Of course, my stories are all available on my profile, so read them if you wish. One of them is crack Twilight, the rest FFXIII, so if you're interested, go browse. I'll warn ya, though: they're all incomplete and haven't been updated in some time apart from the one-shots (I've explained that multiple times, but I'll do it here as well, since none of you guys know the deets). Basically, due to reasons, I've had a lot of trouble keeping a schedule, especially with so many stories to work on. Inevitably, I ran out of Author Juice, and decided "Screw it! I'll just do a max of two at a time!" That includes this one (of course), and TLTD (my babyyyy!). I allowed one other in planning stages, and I'm not posting that until I have only a max of 10 chapters left to write (It's all planned, just need to flesh out the chapters). And while you're on my profile, check out my recommendations, will ya? They need love too._**

 ** _Also, CHECK OUT Helloween4545! His LPs are complete awesome! My personal favorites are his Nier ones (both Replicant/Gestalt and Automata) and Bioshock (even though he didn't end up finishing that one ;_;). He does primarily Horror genre games, which is why Alice: The Madness Returns and F.E.A.R make the list, but Nier is also Horror, didn't you know? Except it's more Adult Horror than traditional. And factoring what it does to you when you finally understand everything, it deserves every bit of that Adult Horror plaque._**

 ** _Alright, enough from me! See you guys next chapter!_**


	4. Widespread Illness

**_A/N: Okay, I realise this might've taken a little longer than two weeks, but I have a reason (don't I always?)_  
**

 ** _Okay, so first things first - for a few days my computer fritzed on me. Didn't play sound, the USB ports weren't functioning, etcetera. But a few days ago it just magically fixed itself. Like, kaput, fixed. Almost like magic. Figures; the second I threaten it with maintenance or replacement it works again. Thanks computer._**

 ** _Second reason - THIS CHAPTER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LONGER. LIKE WAY LONGER. 8 THOUSAND WORDS LONGER. So I cut it in half. But it's still double the length of my usual 2k. So yeah. Enjoy that, if you're into the longer chapters and stuff. The second half of this monster chapter will be updated next week, while I take advantage of my computer's seeming time of wellness to quickly write up the next instalment._**

 ** _Heh. Remember when I said this was only supposed to be like four or five chapters long? MAN, did I underestimate!_**

 ** _Anyway! No anon reviews again this time. Not like I expected any, because FanFiction decided it wouldn't register my previous upload! I mean, it did, to a point. But it didn't go up to the top of the list of stories, like most recently updated stories do. So yeah. That REALLY helps the reviews come in. Get it together FanFiction!_**

 ** _Special, special, SPECIAL shoutout to my regular reviewers, laFia and TTY7! You guys are seriously the most awesome of reviewers - and also the best conversationalists! Honestly, I love you two._**

 ** _Read on! Enjoy, and I'll see you at the bottom._**

* * *

 **Widespread Illness**

If there was one wish they all shared, without knowing that they did, it was the wish to see the world under the cover of night, with stars sprinkling the sky and the moon bathing the earth in a dim, silvery glow.

Logically, it was an impossible wish. They all knew that for some unknown reason, thousands and thousands of years before, the lunar and solar cycles came to a grinding halt. There was nothing in the old-world data left behind to explain why or when exactly it occurred, only that it did.

The only way to know exactly what had occurred would be to ask the humans who came before them. But they also knew that that too, was impossible.

They were all dead. Gone. In a world decidedly better than this one.

What they didn't know was _how_.

How, exactly, did a race as proud and intelligent as the humans – _homo sapien_ – disappear from this world?

Maybe they would eventually come to know. But it was also equally as likely that they would not.

* * *

2B stared down at her YoRHa-issued helmet, her chest filling with anxiety.

She was forced to change her preferred outfit – that of her black dress and boots – to a tight, black jumpsuit with gold accents that made her uncomfortable, purely because it cinched tightly in places where she wasn't used to.

But that wasn't what was bothering her.

No, what was bothering her was that _he knew_.

And she hadn't been given the order.

It gave her a sense of wrongness, a sense that something was deeply amiss. That something was coming. But _what_? Would it happen during the skirmish? After? Her mind whirred with the infinite possibilities.

She knew that something was deeply wrong the first time she ran into him on her way to see Operator 6O, after Adam and Eve had been dismantled. He was skittish, his hands fidgeting with his sleeves, his gloves, and each other. His lips were set in a determined line that worried 2B until she realised what _must_ have happened.

He'd found out the truth.

He opened his mouth multiple times, trying – and failing – to find the words he so desperately wanted to say.

2B gave him a composed look, trying to pretend that nothing was wrong. "9S?"

He just shook his head, a self-deprecating smile gracing his lips. "It's nothing, 2B. Tell the Operator I said hi, would you?"

She nodded, and he strode past her, presumably on his way to R&D. He had spent an increasing amount of time there as of late, which otherwise wouldn't have bothered 2B if she didn't know him so well.

He liked to lose himself in work when something was bothering him.

2B shook her head, trying to rid herself of her distracting thoughts. Her grip on the black helmet tightened, and finally she put it on. Her resolve seemingly set, she stood from her seated position on her bed and made her way to the Hangar.

 _He tried to tell me something before he left, too…_ 2B shook her head again, annoyed with herself that she couldn't even focus properly. She went through the mission again, trying to clear her mind.

She and the other combat units would arrive in squadrons, if the machines in charge of the anti-air defences were properly put to rest by 9S and the other Scanner models. She would fight the weakened machine lifeforms along with the other girls. And, presumably, they would win.

2B tapped her foot in an almost impatient way as the elevator took her up into the Hangar, and then jogged down the hall to the flight unit that waited for her. Taking a deep breath, she jumped into it and took off, hoping that whatever the cause to her anxiety was would fade with the adrenaline of battle.

* * *

 _Before I could convince myself to tell 2B the truth, our final major operation had begun. Still, at the time, I knew nothing. Not how the battle would end…_

 _Nor what fate stood in wait for us._

 **...**

"… _and those are your orders. Do you understand?"_ asked the fuzzy image of Operator 21O.

9S had only just touched down onto a ruined building-top, watching his flight unit soar back in the direction of the Bunker, when Pod 153's call tone activated. 9S nodded, his mind on other matters as he replied, "The Scanners are going to hack into the enemy's anti-air system and shut it down in advance of an all-out assault, right?"

" _That's right. Good job, 9S!"_

9S narrowed his eyes as he sailed down to earth, holding on to his pod as he did so. "Why are you talking to me like I'm a child?"

" _What? That must be your imagination."_

9S rolled his eyes. _Just my imagination? Yeah, right,_ he thought as he sprinted towards the battered and broken body of the Goliath-class machine next to the crater and made his way up. _And I'm really a human disguised as an android._

" _Look for machines that are receiving signals from the anti-air system,"_ 21O continued. _"They should be located in areas with good signal reception. I've forwarded the general positions of the machine lifeforms you need to hack."_

9S had already plotted those likely places onto his map before she had finished speaking. "Roger."

He had only gone towards the Goliath because it was a decent place to scout out likely places where the machines could be, but as he gave his map a quick scan he realised he was already on his way to one. _Good,_ he thought. _This may not take as long as I thought it would._

" _Please refrain from destroying the target. If you do, another one will simply take its place,"_ said the Operator matter-of-factly.

"No killing the target. Got it," replied 9S as he finally made his way up to the top and spied a stubby little machine lifeform sporting red and black paint, staring into space. He lifted his hand and hacked into it with no difficulty, and the machine dropped like a fly, twitching occasionally.

" _I see your hacking was successful. Way to go!"_ congratulated 21O.

9S used the pod to lower him gently back to ground, sprinting to the rooftop of the next target. He knew he wasn't imaginating the condescension in her voice. "You're totally treating me like a kid."

" _Now move on to the next one,"_ she continued, as if he had never spoken.

9S sighed. "Fiiiine."

The next spot took a lot of acrobatics and help from his pod, and the gigantic tree roots were a lot of help too. Finally he jumped to the top – to be greeted by a small sword-wielding bipedal unit. 9S dodged its strike and quickly hacked into and shut it down before it could do any damage.

 _These hacks are a bit simple considering their internal specs. What's up with that?_

Releasing a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, 9S dusted himself off as the face of 21O reappeared on his HUD. _"Defensive system operation confirmed to be declining."_

 _That sounds more like you, Operator._ "Almost there," replied 9S, quickly looking to the top of his HUD. Defensive systems stood at 75%. They were a quarter of the way through already. Jumping down, he skirted the roof of the next building over, which he knew to hold the Resistance's desert storage area.

The next target was on the rooftop where Father Servo used to stand. 9S, using his Pod, managed to fling across the gap and safely onto the concrete, where the medium bipedal unit in red and black paint immediately jumped him. He dodged, but just barely. Darting back and as far away from the machine as the rooftop would let him, he deftly hacked into it, and found it a touch more difficult than the previous two. He managed anyway, and, upon watching it fall to the ground, proceeded to his next target.

" _Looks like it's going well down there,"_ said Operator 21O. _"Every Scanner in the force is involved in this operation, so let's try not to fall behind."_

"Yeah, yeah, no falling behind," replied 9S as he made it back to ground and sprinted in the direction of the commercial facility. "Got it."

" _9S?"_

"What is it?"

" _Make sure to do whatever is necessary to avoid combat."_

 _What? That can't be right…_ "And how will I provide support to the squad if I don't fight?"

" _Scanner units such as yourself are not designed for battle."_

9S smiled. "Aw, are you worried about me?"

The Operator looked to the side, frowning slightly. _"No,"_ she replied, a little too quickly, _"I'm merely pointing out that you would be a liability on the battlefield."_ And with that, she disconnected.

9S blinked, shocked for a moment. By this time he had made it to the grass area before the bridge that led to the commercial facility, and he stopped running. "Wow. That's…harsh." _21O sure is brutal when she wants to be._

Ignoring the slight pierce to the ego, 9S made his way up the ladder in search for the next target, which turned out to be a medium flyer sporting the same red and black paint as the others. He hacked it, noticing the act to be more difficult again than the last, involving a vicious attack barrier. He slid back down the ladder just as another laser communication reached him.

" _11S to 9S, come in."_

Hiding his disappointment that it was not in fact 21O, calling to apologise for her harsh words, 9S responded, "9S here. Go ahead."

" _I'm just about wrapped up here. How about you?"_

"Um, just one left, I think," said 9S as he checked his map.

" _Roger. Be sure to head back to the Bunker when you're done so you can sync your data."_

"Oh, right." 9S felt worry coil around his heart at that statement. "I forgot about that."

9S had, in fact, halted his last data sync, as well as 2B's, when he noticed a strange noise at 98 percent completion when he was undergoing the full data overhaul back on the Bunker, before the battle with Eve. Upon investigation, he had learned something shocking – that the Council of Humanity was formed as _part_ of Project YoRHa, and not the other way around, as he was told. A few minutes later, he was interrupted by a distress signal from 2B, stopping him from investigating further. After the mission, he was waylaid by the Commander, who told him to meet her outside Communications. There, she told him the truth – that humanity was, in fact, extinct, and the transmissions all YoRHa members periodically received were simply dummy signals set up in advance. She then gave him a memory chip, leaving him with a veritable information dump to sort through, and a question he wasn't entirely sure how to answer.

' _What path will you take? It's up to you to decide.'_

" _Until your combat data is uploaded, none of the Scanner modules can run updates,"_ said 11S, yanking 9S from his chain of thought.

"Okay. I'll take care of it as soon as I'm done here," assured 9S.

" _Appreciated."_ 11S disconnected, leaving 9S to his thoughts, and what remained of his mission.

He quickly finished off his last target – a goliath-class bipedal unit that required him to remote hack from another machine. When he did, Pod 153 spoke.

"Proposal: unit 9S should rendezvous with unit 2B before the combat situation worsens."

9S nodded, sprinting back across the bridge. "Sounds like a plan. Lemme just mark the spot on the map. Aaaand…there."

His new marker was placed on the concrete bridge leading into the area where the Abandoned Factory stood. Weaving around both buildings and a growing amount of machine lifeforms, 9S reached the bridge in record time and leapt, first onto the truck beneath, then onto the concrete structure itself. From where he stood, he could clearly see the squadrons in their flight units break the stratosphere and speed off towards their respective landing zones in the formation shown during the planning phase in Comms.

"Here we go…" murmured 9S. This was it. The last skirmish. If they won this one, it would surely mean the end of the war.

But if the war ended, and the android forces won, what would happen then? Would YoRHa come clean about humanity's extinction? Or would they play it off, and simply state that they had decided to abandon Earth after all?

Little did he know that he wasn't the only one with that question in his mind.

* * *

2B had just finished breaking the Earth's stratosphere when she received laser communications from her Operator, 6O. _"2B, the operation will begin at a point southwest of the city ruins. Use your flight unit to travel there and meet up with 9S."_

"Will do."

" _We've repaired and reinstalled the weapons damaged in the fight against Eve. Be careful, okay? The mission will be in full swing by the time you get there."_

"I will…and thanks," she replied, disconnecting the call herself. Soon after she did, another call came in, this time from the Council of Humanity.

" _The Council of Humanity has a message for all of our brave androids fighting on the surface…"_

 _Here we go,_ she thought as she listened to the broadcast, coming into contact with both small and medium flyers soon thereafter.

" _Our elite YoRHa forces, the pride of humanity, have defeated two enemy network units known as Adam and Eve. This victory is a giant leap forward in our quest to reclaim Earth. The moon rings out with the cheers of the entire human race! We look forward to your continued combat exploits. Glory to mankind."_

After gunning down as many flyers in her way as possible, she soon found herself at the point of rendezvous. Ejecting herself from the flight unit, she fell to the bridge below, landing at a crouch. When she stood, she saw 9S in front of her. It appeared that he had waited here for her to arrive.

"2B," he said.

"What's our status?" she asked.

"The operation is underway, and a few squads have already engaged the enemy," he replied as they jumped from the bridge to the ground below. Already the city was overcome by the fog of war. "Our orders are to function as a sort of guerrilla unit that provides support as necessary. I've forwarded our squads' current positions to your map. You should head over there ASAP."

"Sounds good."

They headed towards the marker up the road from them first. As they neared the squad there, they received communications from their leader.

" _This is 4B, captain of Vanguard Squadron Alpha. We're being worn down by a fierce enemy attack."_

"This is guerrilla unit 2B. We're on our way."

" _Roger. And thanks."_

2B severed comms and sprinted the rest of the way to Alpha Squadron, surrounded by machine lifeforms. Once there, she and 9S worked together as a team, helping to wipe out the group as efficiently as possible. After they were done, 4B thanked them profusely, and offered to join them in providing further support, an offer that 2B and 9S agreed to.

Slowly, they made their way around the city, helping each Squadron that called for help.

" _This is unit 8B with Attack Squadron Omega. We've gained control of our assigned zone. Heading out now to provide support elsewhere."_

" _This is 3B, captain of Theta Squadron. The enemy machines are multiplying in front of us. We can't hold this position!"_

" _This is unit 7B, with Vanguard Squadron Delta. We're currently pinned down by a number of machines that appear to have lost their minds."_

With each squad helped they gained another handful of allies. Finally, it appeared that all Squadrons had gained control of their assigned zones. It was then that Operator 6O contacted 2B once more.

" _2B, we've sighted new enemies in the region. They've got Attack Squadron Omega pinned down, and are giving them one hell of a fight. Can you head over there and provide support ASAP?"_

"We're on it." With that, 2B disconnected from the call.

"Man, this is tougher than I thought it would be," said 9S.

"We need to hurry," replied 2B, already sprinting as fast as she could toward Squadron Omega, ridiculously glad she had the foresight to upgrade and install a new plug-in chip that increased her movement speed.

After what seemed like an age, they made it. "This is unit 2B. We're in position to provide support for Attack Squadron Omega."

"Are we ever glad to see you!" exclaimed 8B. "They came out of nowhere. We were fighting for our damn lives!"

With more allies than they could have hoped to ask for, they made short work of the machines in front of them. Everyone there was riding on a high.

"If this keeps up, we can win," said 2B. "9S, check the area to see if any reinforcements are on the way."

"You got it," replied 9S, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him inside the nearby building and up the stairs as 2B and the others continued to wipe the floor with the remaining machines.

Until a curious buzzing noise caught their attention. "What was that?" 2B immediately froze, scanning the area – and under the helmet, her eyes widened in horror.

More and more machine lifeforms were converging on their position, heads popping up and away from their bodies to reveal some kind of mechanism similar in design to that of the human spinal cord. The spines continued to buzz, gathering energy around them, which was then suddenly released in a close-range EMP attack that had the remaining YoRHa combat units kneeling on the ground, crying out in pain.

Through the buzzing in her head, 2B heard 9S's voice. "2B! Are you okay!?"

"Let…my guard down…" she grunted. "EMP hit me point-blank…I…gotta reboot…"

"I'll provide backup!" 9S dropped from the collapsed wall that served as a bridge to the neighbouring building their first time together to the Ruins, and landed in a crouch in front of the collapsed combat units.

As he fought, he was hit by one of the EMP attacks and, suddenly, all he could see of them were pixels. "They…have visual camouflage? What the hell's going on here?!"

And that wasn't all they had. If caught in any more EMP radii, 9S was periodically plagued by a failure in his NFCS region, general motor system or evasive function, which made it difficult to fight them until a cure for each was used. This forced 9S to keep his distance and use Pod fire or continually throw one of the spear models he and 2B had acquired over the course of their exploration of the world.

As he finished off the last one, 2B and the other combat units regained consciousness. He immediately ran to her side. "You okay!?"

2B did not respond, but silently accepted his help in getting slowly to her feet. She bent over, taking off her helmet and taking deep breaths of the smoggy air.

Anguished yells from the other units caught their attention, and they both looked over to see them bent over double, grasping their head in their hands and stumbling in place.

"Is this…a wide-area virus?"

Seconds later, 2B dropped her helmet and started behaving the same way, dropping to her knees and groaning in pain as she, too, clutched her head. "2B!"

As 9S surveyed the area, he tried to piece together what had happened. "This viral attack…the EMP must've triggered it!? I gotta do something…I have to save 2B!"

He then did the only thing he could. He hacked into her.

The hack was simpler than he expected it to be, and soon enough 2B stopped convulsing in pain. 9S placed a hand on her shoulder. "2B…you okay?"

She nodded, and together they pulled her to her feet. Around them, the convulsing combat units began to laugh.

It was only small, at first. The tiniest giggle. But then that giggle caught, and soon they were all laughing at the two. "The hell…?" 2B looked around at them.

They stood, laughing louder now, and their eyes changed colour from allied green to enemy red. And then they began to attack them.

"They've been infected and taken over!" said 9S.

"No…wait, what!? Attack functions aren't working!" exclaimed 2B as she tried to swing her sword at the oncoming infected horde – only for it to remain at her back.

"That's because of their YoRHa IDs! 2B, I need to hack into you and fry your identification circuit!" yelled 9S as he dodged a circle around 2B and away from the other combat units, trying to find an opportunity. Once he was far enough away, he quickly hacked her once more, and was faced with a maze barrier. His hacking body barrelled through it and destroyed the sphere at the end that served as her ID circuit, and sure enough, a little pop-up appeared indicating that her identification signal was no longer functioning.

2B regained control, beginning to hack into her former allies and friends with 9S's help. "Pod, report our status to Command!" she ordered.

"Alert: All communications are currently being jammed."

"Goddammit!"

"2B! I located the unit that's jamming our comms," said 9S.

"Got it."

"Target location data obtained," said Pod 042. "Marking on map."

The marker was in the crater in the middle of the city. Thinking fast, 2B darted away from the attacking horde and sprinted for the crater, 9S and the infected combat units hot on her heels.

"The jamming is coming from that thing!" shouted 9S as they reached the crater, pointing straight ahead and down at a Goliath bipedal machine.

 _Of all the goddamn machines it could have been…_ 2B ran straight for it, trying to destroy it as quickly as possible before the other YoRHa members caught up with them, but to no avail. Dodging as many attacks as she could, she struggled to keep her target in sight as the infected units surrounded them and attacked in rapid succession. Finally, they succeeded, and the Goliath fell to its knees, exploding soon thereafter and taking out a few corrupted YoRHa along with it.

"That should take care of the jamming!"

"Pod, send an emergency distress signal to Command!" she ordered again. When 042 did not immediately respond, she shouted, "Pod!"

"Alert: Connection lost. Unable to reach Command."

"Damn it, they're _still_ jamming us!?"

"Negative. Signal reception is clear. Connection lost due to server-side authentication failure. No response is coming from Command on any channel."

A litany of swear words ribboned through her mind at once."Shit. What happened to the Bunker?"

They had no choice but to continue to fight the never-ending swarm of infected YoRHa coming from all sides. But they were both tiring from the strain it placed on their bodies. Even though 9S was doing an excellent job of not showing it, she could still tell by the way his attacks became slightly clumsier, and his dodging slower.

"We can't keep doing this forever!" said 2B after an extended amount of time.

"2B! I have an idea!" exclaimed 9S. "It's possible to access the Bunker from a backdoor in the system. I can use that to initiate an emergency backlog of our personal log data. Then we set our black boxes to self-destruct, and take 'em all out at once!"

"Sounds good!" she replied, dodging an attack from one unit and parrying another as she waited.

"Data upload 30 percent complete."

"50 percent complete!"

"We just hit 70 percent!"

"Are you done yet!?" yelled 2B, panic filling her heart like water in a jug.

"Almost. We're at 92 percent! 2B! Your black box!"

9S had the log in front of him. He watched the bar fill from 93 to 97 percent… "Log-data upload…complete!" he exclaimed as it hit 100 percent and he swiped the alert away. Turning, he ran straight into the fray for 2B, wrenching his black box from his chest as he did so. The infected YoRHa came at him with blades and, when he dodged them, their bare hands, grasping his arms in an effort to keep him away. He reached out anyway as they took him to the ground, black box in hand, as 2B did the same. Giving up, the corrupted units jumped on top of them in a pile, attempting to smother them before they could get their black boxes together, but the light permeating through the gaps in their bodies were proof enough of their failure – and 2B and 9S's success.

The light encompassed them all.

And 2B and 9S lost consciousness.

* * *

A2 saw the sheer amount of machine lifeforms converging on the city, and the explosions of war, all the way from the forest castle. Heart in her throat, she began to make her way into the forest, over the raging river below and pick her way through the trees in the direction of the commercial district.

 _Are they engaging in another descent? Are they winning, or are the machines? Is this war finally ending?_

… _This might be my chance. To do my bit, die in battle, and re-join my friends. I have to get there!_

As she neared, however, she realised something was wrong. She scaled the commercial facility, flipping herself up and onto the roof in order to get a better look. She saw the YoRHa soldiers nearest to the bridge fall, groaning in pain and grasping their heads as they rolled about on the grassy ground below them. Then they stilled as they began to laugh; she could hear it from where she was. Their eyes changed from green to red as they got to their feet once more.

 _A…virus? But…how did it infect all those YoRHa at once!?_ A2 ducked down, staying as out-of-sight as she could. Then, as one, the contaminated YoRHa combat units ran from their positions to what looked like the middle of the city, where the crater was, laughing all the way.

About 15 minutes later, she saw it. The explosion and light of a dual black box reaction.

A2 rolled onto her back, breaths heavy from shock.

YoRHa was…all but gone, on the ground. Unless there were more up in the Bunker or in any of the Defence HQs…

The machines would win.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Whoo, that was a ride. Well, I'll see you guys next week.**_

 ** _My muse is a hungry dragon! And this hungry dragon has a particular taste for reviews. Keep 'em coming! ;)_**

 _ **Fang out.**_


	5. The End of YoRHa

_**A/N: Hey, I'm on time with this one! This is the second half of the monster chapter. I only got one review last chapter, which I'm a little sad about. Can I please have more reviews? I got sick five days ago and feel absolutely horrible, this is the first time I've been online since. I was hoping for more reviews waiting for me, but...yeah. (;_;)**_

 _ **Well, anyway. Monster chapter's second half. Read on.**_

* * *

 **The End of YoRHa**

* * *

2B awoke on her bed with a gasp. She immediately went through her personal log data, jumped from the bed, and dashed out the door of her quarters, greeted by the sight of 9S waiting for her as she emerged.

"2B!"

"We have to report back to Command," she said, obliterating any chance for 9S to say anything else. She ran for Comms, 9S right behind her, and made their way to the lower floor, where the Commander waited, flanked on either side by YoRHa combatants.

"Commander!"

"2B? 9S? What are you doing here?" The Commander seemed perplexed at their sudden appearance.

"The YoRHa units on the ground were infected by a virus," explained 9S. "We had to detonate our black boxes in order to stop them."

"A…virus?" The Commander narrowed her eyes at them both. The combat units to her left and right looked over to them, their interest peaked. "What are you talking about? None of our ground units reported anything about a virus."

"That's because all communications with the Bunker have been severed."

"And why did you leave the battlefield anyway?" she continued, as if 9S had never spoken. "I didn't order a retreat."

"We're telling you," said 2B impatiently, "YoRHa has gone berserk!"

"…No. If anyone is acting infected here, it's you."

"Are you _NUTS!?"_ cried 9S.

And then the Commander did the unthinkable. She levelled her baton at the two of them, determination in her eyes. "2B…9S…you're being detained under suspicion of virus contamination."

As if in response to her words and actions, the YoRHa at her side and at their backs levelled their blades at them, too. 9S stepped in front of 2B, throwing out an arm as if to shield her. "Wait a minute!"

For a few moments, nothing was said. Then, the YoRHa combat units began to cry out in pain, dropping their weapons and clutching their heads as they staggered in place. The Commander looked from side to side at her soldiers, confusion written upon her face. Slowly, she lowered her weapon.

The soldier to the Commander's left finally recovered, and looked up. "Eee hee hee! Bingooooo!" Every pair of eyes in the vicinity, save for 2B, 9S and the Commander, looked towards them all at once – and their eyes turned the tell-tale, logic-virus red.

"They're…infected…" whispered 9S in shock.

2B flung the Commander out of the way of an incoming strike. Using her bare hands, she defended any strike coming for either the Commander or for 9S, as each and every YoRHa soldier in the vicinity beelined towards them and tried to take them on, with the Operators watching from the sidelines, frozen in place. The Commander tried to strike at one of them, but was pushed violently in the abdomen, sending her tumbling to the ground. 2B ran to her side after taking down the remaining soldier in her way.

"Commander? We have to go!"

Seemingly numb, the Commander got to her feet behind her, her baton gripped tightly in her hand.

By this time, 9S had made his way up to the doors, only to find them shut tight. "Damn! The doors! Did the virus infiltrate the Bunker itself!?"

Operator 6O's distorted voice answered him. "Ooooo, bingo _again_!"

"Operator, what –"

"That's not the Operator!" shouted 2B as she fought off the YoRHa soldiers, by now having gotten to their feet. Even the Operators around them were no longer silent, infected witnesses. Their limiters apparently disabled by the virus, they came at them with their bare hands, trying to land punches and kicks that 2B parried and countered with ease. "It's –"

"We are your beloved machine lifeforms," said the voice, heavily distorting from low baritone to high and squeaky. "We speak to you through the network and the virus."

"How is that even possible?"

"We've had a great deal of fun watching you squirm," replied the voice, now low and threatening. "But I'm afraid the end has come for this outpost."

Crazed laughter echoed in all of their ears, mocking them and their helplessness as 2B and the Commander fought off the infected YoRHa. As the last one in the room fell, flashing red lights interrupted the black and white of the Bunker.

"2B! It's open!" shouted 9S from the upper floor, having hacked into the doors to get them open.

The two girls ran to the lift, making their way up and through the doors with 9S trailing after them. As they exited Comms, a blockade shifted closed to their right, forcing them to the left.

"G-G-Glory to…m-mankind…" chanted the voices of more YoRHa soldiers, these ones in the standard black dresses, accompanied by more Operators that weren't in Comms when the virus struck. Blocking their way, they continued to speak. "All YoRHa units…launch…reporting…current status…"

2B wanted to vomit. "They're still…conscious…"

"Stay focused, 2B!" said 9S, leaping into the fray. 2B did the same, and together they wiped out the forces in their way. The barrier in front of them opened as the last one fell, and the lights in the Bunker all went out at once. An announcement over the loudspeaker informed them that the nuclear reactor in the centre of the Bunker was malfunctioning, and requested all YoRHa units to evacuate before she, too, began to giggle maniacally. The backup generators hummed to life, and the way was once again lit, albeit dimly. All three non-infected YoRHa units moved forward once again.

More infected units blocked their way ahead, just outside 9S's quarters. "Commander…it is an honour…this fo-fo-food…isn't very good…hee hee! When does the war end? E-E-End?"

"Oh, God…" murmured the Commander.

2B and 9S fought them, cutting them down as they tried to strike. It was then that another voice erupted over the loudspeaker – one that made 2B's heart break.

"Two-Bee, I…am Operator 6O. ThANk you for…foR the FLOWErs…"

2B tried to ignore the voice as she continued to slay the corrupted units, the next barrier falling as the last one from that group fell.

"Desert FLOWErs are BEAUTIF…arEN't thEY…Th-Th-Thank You…SoMEdAy I…"

"!" 2B couldn't hide the pain in her heart. Shaking her head, she laid into the next group. "Commander, the Bunker is lost. We have to evacuate."

"But tell me – why weren't you two infected?"

"I don't know!"

9S sighed. "It's probably because I deferred our data sync. I noticed some weird noise in the Bunker's server data, so I paused the upload."

"…I see." The Commander's voice was preternaturally calm.

"The transport terminal is corrupted. We need to get to the Hangar and get some flight units!"

"Co…Commander…Thank you…" said the last group of infected YoRHa, in perfect sync. They dropped like flies as 2B turned her ire upon them, and once they were down, the way to the Hangar was clear.

"Commander, we need to get some flight units from the hangar and get out of here," said 2B, ushering her inside the lift. As soon as it dropped them off at the hangar they sprinted for the flight units.

The Commander slowed down, stopping at the door to the hangar bay. "Commander, hurry!" urged 2B.

"I'm staying here. I can't." The Commander blinked, and her eyes turned red.

2B gasped. "Commander…"

"I, too, was synched up to the server…"

"But 9S can hack into your systems and–"

"There's no time!" the Commander barked. "You two are the last remaining members of YoRHa. It's your _duty_ to survive."

"But, Commander…" mumbled 9S.

"Besides," the Commander interrupted. "This is my command. Let me at least fulfil my duty here to the end…"

9S lurched forward, grasping 2B's hand and pulling her towards the flight units, and away from the Commander. "2B, this place is lost!"

2B resisted. "Commander!"

" _Move it,_ 2B! That's an order!"

When the door closed on the blonde Commander, 2B hesitantly moved towards the flight units and jumped in. She and 9S fled, just as the Bunker exploded in a shower of colourless fire.

And as 2B screamed in pain and rage, as they broke the Earth's stratosphere, as their very world collapsed around them, there was nothing that could have prepared either of them for what the near future had in store for them.

The debris from the Bunker's explosion rained down onto the planet's surface. On top of a ruined building somewhere in the city ruins, a tiny stubby machine was trying to tend to its big brother with buckets of oil.

And on the commercial facility's rooftop, A2 knew, as she watched fiery debris rain down from the deep vacuum of space, that the machines had won. The Bunker was no more. Her friends' deaths were all for nothing.

…

"Commander…"

"Alert: Multiple pursuers detected," warned Pod 042.

"Hostiles?" wondered 2B.

"No…oh no…" murmured 9S in horror. "This signal. It's…"

"It's YoRHa!" cried 2B as a squadron of flight units converged upon their location. As one, all four enemy units switched from flight to stealth mode, and 2B and 9S launched a dual missile barrage at them. But they didn't seem fazed as they darted close, using their photon swords to hack at the pair. Heavy fire rained down upon them, and soon, they let off a set of EMP blasts that had 9S groaning in pain – he caught the brunt of it.

"Alright, enough of this shit…" said 2B. "9S, I need to take over your controls!"

"You need to _what_!?"

"I'm getting us out of here!"

"Uh…o-okay…"

Quickly, she sent another missile barrage at the infected units while her Pod took over 9S's flight unit.

"Flight controls transferred to unit 2B," intoned Pod 153.

"Flight controls established for unit 9S," said Pod 042. "Setting automatic course. Entering escape route from combat zone."

"Huh? W-Wait, what are you…?" shouted 9S as he was very abruptly booted from the combat zone. "No!"

"Stealth function release!"

"YoRHa unit 2B's stealth function unlocked."

It was then that 9S figured out what 2B was going to do. "Wait! …2B! 2B!"

But it was too late. By this point 9S was being forced to flee for the centre of the city ruins thanks to 2B's automatic flight course. He could do nothing to stop or to save her.

It wasn't long before the infected YoRHa units released another set of EMP blasts. This time, 2B had no-one to shield her, and she caught all four.

"Alert: Critical damage to flight unit. Proposal: Eject immediately."

"Gotta find a way to land this thing…" muttered 2B, continuing to fire at them.

More EMP blasts were directed at 2B, and this time, it caused damage severe enough that she was no longer able to fire.

"Alert: Reactor core temperature rising. Alert: FFCS and NFCS systems unresponsive. Analysis: Offensive functionality lost."

Fire streaming from her flight unit, 2B sped away from the combat zone. "Goddammit…" It then exploded right over the flooded coast, violently ejecting her and sending her tumbling to the hard ground below. Rolling over and over, she finally came to a stop on the ruined road as the flight unit crashed into the shore a few metres from her.

"Alert: Multiple enemies confirmed."

 _Just fucking great…_ 2B slowly got to her feet, taking Virtuous Contract from 042 as it delivered the sword to her.

 _Well, at least my Near Field controls are still good._ 2B experimentally used 042 to fire at the bipeds in front of her, and was satisfied to see that Far Field controls also worked as they should. Using this information, 2B slayed all the machines surrounding her with relative ease, despite the damage her body had sustained during the crash.

That satisfaction drained to infuriation when 042 spoke next. "Alert: Virus infection detected. Proposal: Administer vaccine immediately."

2B doubled over, grimacing in pain as a pop-up appeared on her HUD, counting down the percentage of herself she still had left. _Can't end here…I need to…do something first…_

Hobbling over to her crashed flight unit, 2B recorded a message and stored it within, hoping that whoever found it would give 9S the message that she no longer could.

Sprinting when she could and hobbling at a brisk pace when she couldn't, 2B had made it into the sewer pipe connecting the flooded region to the city ruins proper when a burst of pain had her doubling over once more.

"Alert: Virus contamination rate up to 16 percent. Malfunction detected in NFCS circuit."

"I have to keep it…from spreading to other androids. Pod, give me a location that's low on android signals."

"Searching…

Analysis: The area near the abandoned commercial facility meet the desired parameters. Alert: Unit 2B will sustain serious damage unless the virus is eliminated."

"You don't say…" said 2B sarcastically. She kept moving in the same pattern – sprint, then hobble, sprint, then hobble, until she saw daylight coming from the end of the sewer tunnel.

 _Not too far now…_ As soon as she left the tunnel, she stumbled as the virus reached 21 percent contamination.

"Alert: Virus contamination rate up to 21 percent."

"Remove the contamination…and reset…" gasped 2B as she hooked around and made her way up and out of the crater.

"Analysis: Virus is transforming and progressing its own algorithm with abnormal speed. Removal will be difficult."

2B groaned in pain as her visual sensors began to pixelate around the edges. Using 042's help, she launched herself across the small gap in the earth under her, and soon found herself at one of the upper-level bridges to the north-east of the crater.

 _Just…a little…further…_ "Aaaugh!" cried 2B.

"Alert: Virus contamination rate up to 32 percent. Malfunction detected in visual processing system."

White noise buzzed faintly in her ears. She couldn't see very well anymore. Blinking the tears of pain out of her eyes, 2B hobbled onward. _Just get to the bridge…as soon as I'm across…everything will…_

" _The Council of Humanity has a message for all of our…fighting on the surface."_

 _Really? NOW!?_

The broadcast was interrupted when 042 announced the contamination rate to be at 57 percent. "Malfunction detected in FFCS circuit."

The white noise in her ears was growing louder and louder the closer she got to the rickety bridge that separated her from the commercial facility. It hurt to listen to, and she desperately wished that she could rip out her aural processing circuits, just to obtain relief.

"Alert: Virus contamination rate up to 70 percent. Infiltrating system-protected region."

2B couldn't hear her Pod very clearly. Everything was going through a buzz of white noise and static, and there was now a high whining in her ears that she didn't like. Groaning, tripping over the rocky terrain, she reached out for the bridge as she got closer, to use the rope as some kind of support for her rapidly-failing body. As soon as she stepped onto the bridge, a flash of pain rippled through her body, very nearly forcing her to her knees. It took everything she had to keep going.

"Alert: Virus contamination rate 90 percent. Alert: Unusual heat generation in central nervous system. Internal combustion imminent."

Almost as soon as the fuzzy-sounding Pod finished speaking, she could feel the heat in the centre of her body getting hotter and hotter. She shut her eyes tight, gritting her teeth, and then…

"Aaaaah!" she screamed as her Pod's prediction came true. Staggering, numb to temperature, she stumbled forward.

"Alert: Abnormality detected in visual sensors." She could barely hear her Pod. For a while, she couldn't see. After 10 seconds of nothing, suddenly, her sight returned to her, and she realised dimly that she could no longer differentiate colour. "Alert: Deterioration found in black box. Alert: Damage to data backup system. Said damage will make it difficult to retain self-consciousness upon backup."

"Bunker's gone," gasped 2B, her voice broken and riddled with pain. "There's…no point in backing up anyway…"

Tears filled her eyes, a knot forming in her throat that had nothing to do with the virus. "9…S…my body is…"

 _Broken. Unfixable. Unwantable._

 _9S…I want to…see you again. Just…one more…time…_

 _Pain…so much pain. I do not…want to die…_

Finally, finally, she forced her tired and broken body across the bridge, only to be met with more infected YoRHa units. With no NF or FF control systems, she was helpless to the barrage of attacks she was subjected to. Dimly, she was aware that this would be her fate. These would be her final moments.

Unusually fitting, for someone like her.

Her lips twitched into a self-deprecating smile.

 _Heh…look at me. I'm so weak, I can't even defend myself._

… _This is what I deserve._

 _I…I'm so sorry…9S…_

The barrage of attacks forced her to her knees. She closed her eyes, praying that it would be quick.

… _9S…_

* * *

A2 had no idea why she decided to spare her from the infected YoRHa units. All she knew was that, before she could blink, she had jumped down and parried the strike that was aimed for the unit known as 2B.

She looked behind her, checking that she was alright. She looked very much worse for wear. A black substance was trickling down her uniform, her mouth set in a permanent grimace of pain as she slowly got to her feet, sparks flying off her body every now and again as she clutched tightly her pristine white sword.

"A…2…" she croaked.

She wasn't going to be much help here.

A2 readied her blade, waiting for one of the infected units to strike first. When first one, then another sprinted towards her, she whirled around and impaled the first unit from behind, kicking her off her blade before violently beheading the second one. Both tumbled to the ground in a pool of their own blood. She darted forward and caught another unit's blade with her large one, throwing the short sword at another unit approaching from the side before kicking the legs out from under the one in front of her. She finished off both units with a quick stab of her short sword to the chest. The remaining four were just as easy to take down, doing so in just as bloody and violent a manner as the first four.

2B collapsed to her knees once more, making A2 turn to the sound of her pained gasp. With her white sword, she cut of her visor, allowing A2 to see her full face for the first time. Again, she marvelled at just how much they looked alike.

"Guess this…is it…" she murmured, opening her eyes. A2's eyes widened – they were so, so red. But not quite. There was still some of 2B left, just enough for her to impart on her last-minute ally her final wish.

She stabbed her sword deep into the rock she kneeled on. "These are…my memories." One of her hands slipped off the handle of the blade, her eyes downcast. "Take care of everyone for me…" With a groan, her other hand let go, and both hung limp at her side. "Take care…of the future…A2…"

A2 stepped forward, and pulled the sword out of the ground as gently as she could. As soon as she grasped the sword's handle, she felt its will, as if it had always been hers, always been by her side. Her trusted weapon. Virtuous Contract. Her lips twitched into a smile at the name, at how fitting it was.

She took a deep breath.

* * *

"Where the hell is 2B!?"

9S had been dropped in the centre of the crater in the heart of the city ruins thanks to 2B's escape path. He was now on the north-east bridge near the commercial facility, and he wasn't very happy. When he found her, she was going to get an earful. Didn't she think him strong enough to support her?

"Scanning. Black box signal located."

"Put it on the map!"

"Alert: Large-scale ground tremors detected. Underground soil structure is no longer stable. Cause is likely a high-magnitude earthquake."

He could feel the tremors under his feet. He dropped to the ground below and ran forward towards the marker where 2B's black box signal was located. He hoped to God she was okay. She was locked in battle with four corrupted YoRHa equipped with flight units the last he saw of her. That had been a good half-hour ago. A lot could change in that time.

"Proposal: Evacuate immediately," suggested 153.

"I'm not going anywhere!" snapped 9S. Deftly dodging the small and medium flyers that tried to shoot at him, he sprinted as fast as he could go towards then over the bridge, pulse pounding in his ears.

"2B…2B…" His footsteps echoed loudly as he ran, and when he looked up the first thing he registered was 2B, her beautiful form resting on her knees.

 _Oh, thank God._

"2B!" shouted 9S. "Are you–"

And then the whole scene registered, and he cried out in horror.

A2 was standing in front of 2B, holding Virtuous Contract. And Virtuous Contract was stuck through her chest. He could see her blood on the end of the blade.

Time ground to a halt.

The world was silent.

The heart he wasn't supposed to have split into thousands of tiny pieces.

 _2B…no…_

It was then that 2B turned her head, and spotted him. "Oh…Nines…" she said softly, a smile on her face as she slid off of the end of the blade and onto the rocky ground.

"Oh no…" 9S pressed his hands to his head, unable to process what had happened. "2B…no…" Because she couldn't be dead.

 _She can't be dead. She CAN'T_ _be dead. She can't be dead._ This litany repeated itself in his mind, but he knew them to be false. Because she _was_ dead. She was gone. 9S began to sob as the truth finally sank in.

She would never smile at him again.

She would never fight alongside him again.

She would never save him again.

He was on his own.

He was alone.

She was gone.

And it was all. Her. Fault.

A2. There she stood, clutching her sword. _Her sword. 2B's sword._

 _HOW DARE SHE HOLD THAT SWORD IN HER HANDS._

Slowly, A2 grabbed a handful of her hair and cut through it, leaving her hair shorter, only clearing her chin by half an inch. She looked more like 2B than ever.

It was that thought that sent him over the edge.

 _No. No. NO._

 _How dare you. HOW DARE YOU!_

 _HOW DARE YOU STAND THERE AND LOOK SO MUCH LIKE HER!?_

 _YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LOOK LIKE HER! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO STAND THERE AND LOOK LIKE MY 2B!_

 _YOU DON'T DESERVE YOU DON'T DESERVE YOU DON'T DESERVE YOU DON'TYOUDON'TDON'TDON'T_

The tremors returned. 9S began to scream.

It was a terrible scream. One of grief, of unimaginable pain, and of rage.

He drew his sword. "A2!" he screamed and, whilst still screaming, charged for her.

Everything would be okay, as long as he could kill her and claim revenge for 2B.

Towers of silicon carbide were sprouting from the chasm below, but 9S held nothing in his sight save for A2. He continued to charge, even as the bridge began to shake and quake, throwing him off-balance, but still he ran for her. For the white-haired murdering wench that stood before him.

A2 just held him steadily in her gaze. And it infuriated him to no end.

"I'll kill you!" he shouted as a column of silicon carbide smashed through the bridge, missing him by a hair's breadth. The part of the bridge he was standing on flew upwards at an angle, throwing him through the air and into the chasm, as he screamed manically all the while.

A2's eyes widened. This was not how it was supposed to be. Was he supposed to get here sooner? To see and hear the entirety of what really transpired?

…Would she be able to explain it all to him? Or would he try to kill her first, and ask questions later?

She didn't have a lot of time to ponder. A silicon carbide column appeared before her, sending her into the rocky wall behind her.

The last thing she saw was the fireworks erupting from the tip of the white crystal structure, the location of which seemed to be in the crater at the heart of the city ruins.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Alright, Nutso!9S has finally made an appearance! Only a brief appearance, unfortunately, but he will be back.**_

 _ **The next few chapters will have heavy timeskips, so as not to have loads of needless filler. I've warned ya.**_

 _ **I probably won't be working on this story til I'm recovered from this stupid goddamn virus, so expect an update in about a week or two. I'm sorry I can't guarantee a date, but that's how these things go, I guess.**_

 _ **Fang out.**_


	6. Childhood's End

_**A/N: Hoo, boy, was this a ride. Sorry I'm late, everyone. I just had a hell of a lot of trouble with this chapter for some reason...among other things.**_

 _ **It's almost over! Wahhh! Only one chapter to go after this, not including an epilogue if I write one.**_

 _ **Reviews time! I got two anon reviews this time. It makes me very happy, though I wish I could reply to you guys via PM! Oh well. :)**_

 _ **Willso: Thank you much, I aim to please!**_

 _ **Caroline: Why thank you! I am all better now, virus is gone (ahem!). While I am aware about the outside information - such as from the concert script, having been shown by a friend. But I only wanted to go off of what information the game gives us this time around. I'll admit: I might've forgotten to add the flight unit bits in this chapter, I was meaning to and everything! I'll see if I can sneak them in next chapter somewhere.**_

 _ **Thank you for reviewing guys! They really do help!**_

 _ **Ahem! Back to business. I initially wanted to go with ending C, where A2 deletes the logic virus from his system, but it didn't really FIT. Which really freaking frustrated me. So I had to go with ending D.**_

 _ **Well. This gets a little not-so-child-friendly. Might have to bump the rating up if people complain.**_

* * *

 **Childhood's End**

* * *

As A2 stared down her fate in the form of a white-haired, pissed-off Scanner model she had been asked to protect, she found herself wishing that things had been different. Not just wishing; it was a desperate want lodged in her heart, in her throat, and she gripped the pristine white blade in her hand with all the strength she could muster.

Because there was no way in the world she could kill him. There was _no way in hell._ If 2B still existed, she would most certainly kill the outdated YoRHa model herself if A2 so much as entertained the prospect for a second. And, despite the cold, harsh attitude interspersed with hot-blooded rage he had treated her with, she cared for him.

She blamed it entirely on 2B's memories, now interwoven tightly with her own.

The memories of jibes, of laughter. Of working together as a cohesive, functional, two-man team. Of the small begrudging smiles she would give him, and the bashful, shy smiles he would give in return.

And the other memories, ones with a less roseate hue – the memories of running a sword straight through his black box, or choking him with her sometimes bare, sometimes gloved, too-experienced hands. Of leading him into traps in secluded areas to finish him off when he got to know too much. Of hearing the order issued from the Commander and swallowing down her own, completely forbidden emotions until the job was done, only to sob dryly in her quarters after the deed had already been done and there was no way to go back.

There was only the next body. And the next, and the next, for three years straight – ever since she was manufactured as part of the E-Designation.

 _E for "Execution"._

Those memories flowed into her mind, unbidden, uncontrollable, and with a mind of their own, coiled around her brain, her heart, until she couldn't care less about the rest of the world – until all she wanted to do was collapse onto her knees and sob, or better yet, take 9S into a comforting hug.

Something that 2B had always had to restrain herself from.

Something that the 9S standing before her would never, ever accept from her.

He was too far gone – anyone could see it. Mere words could not reach him. Her actions spoke louder – too loudly – and only one action in particular.

Running 2B through with her own blade – if only as an act of mercy, so that she didn't have to live under the effects of a logic virus with a particularly nasty algorithm, until she collapsed in the ruined city streets – more than likely, after she had killed 9S herself once again.

But 9S didn't know that one crucial detail. And, it seemed, he didn't care to know. All he wanted was the bloodshed, the revenge. All he knew was the virus currently hijacking his logic processes, turning him into a crazed, homicidal maniac hell-bent on putting the painful memory of his 2B to rest.

And A2 knew the source – the grafted arm, obviously taken from a 2B body, many floors back down the Tower.

His eyes flashed red as they collided with her own.

How did he find one of her models? Better yet, how did the machines manage to get their hands on so many?

All she had seen, when she had made it to the hole 9S had fallen into, was more 2B body parts than she could ever have wanted to see – more than she could have wished to see in a lifetime. Enough to make her sick. Because, for all intents and purposes, she came from her. A2's programming, hell, even her _likeness_ , was what had made 2B. And YoRHa had taken her and molded her into a killer, an assassin, chosen specifically to keep an eye on the best Scanner model they had – to keep him under wraps. She was – she _became_ – his jailer. And, without meaning to, she fell for him.

A2 knew, because 2B's memories held her heart in an iron-hard fist, clenched so tightly it hurt.

All of this flew through her mind in the few seconds it took to analyse the Scanner standing across from her, sword drawn and visor off, staring squarely in her direction, ready to kill.

She was told to take care of her friends, the future, and, most specifically, him.

 _2B would hate this._

* * *

" _9S…he'll find me…" 2B ground out, forcing herself to speak. "You…need to make sure…he's safe…because I no longer can."_

 _The familiarity A2 felt with Virtuous Contract was cast aside as she forced herself to focus on the matter at hand. "You want me to kill you." A statement, not a question. Because she already knew what she wanted._

 _2B gave a small nod. "I'm infected. I can't…be by his side…anymore. And the Bunker…"_

" _I know. It's gone." A2's voice turned bitter._

" _I don't…have much time left…A2, please…"_

 _A2 watched as a flight unit deposited a male android on top of a ruined motorway before them. "He's here." She looked down at 2B, uncertainty lodged in her gut. Did she want this android's blood on her hands?_

" _That was quick…." 2B coughed, doubling over. "He must…be angry…"_

" _It'll be worse if he watches me kill you."_

" _Not if…he understands why…"_

" _There's no time to explain," snapped A2. "In a few moments, you'll be just as gone as those YoRHa nutters I saved you from."_

 _In a final, surprising burst of strength, 2B grasped the end of the white blade, its sharp edge cutting into her fingers, her blood dripping from her flesh onto the rock below and staining her weapon. Trembling, she held it to her chest – where her black box was. "Right here," she grunted. "Do it. Make it quick. Before…"_

 _Closing her eyes, A2 grasped 2B's shoulder to steady them both. "I'll do what I can." She shoved the blade in deep._

 _2B cried out in pain. "Th-thank you…A2…"_

" _2B! Are you–"_

 _2B managed to turn her head and make eye contact with her partner. "Oh…Nines…" she sighed, a smile still on her face as her body became a dead weight and slid off Virtuous Contract to the rocky ground._

 _9S's tormented scream soaked the air._

Dammit, I'm sorry.

" _I'll kill you!"_

* * *

Such simple words. Three little words. 'I'll kill you'. But to 9S, they weren't little. They were the sole reason keeping him alive, his new driving force. Before, it was 2B. Now, it was vengeance. Revenge.

An emotion he wasn't supposed to know. Something a good YoRHa soldier would never give into. But YoRHa was no more. And emotion governed his mind – the most chaotic of which eating at his heart.

A2 stood before him, her expression giving little away. Her stance was tense, but her sword was not drawn. Not yet. A few moments later, her expression shifted, pity evident in those swirling blue irises that looked so much like 2B's.

How dare she feel pity for him? She was the one responsible for the anguish raging inside him. She looked too much like her. Too much like 2B. He couldn't take it.

Gritting his teeth, he looked like a little wild, a little animalistic as he gripped his sword tight, knuckles white against his already-pale skin under the glove.

Finally, A2 spoke. "This tower is a giant cannon that's aimed at the surface of the moon. If we don't do something, all of humanity's remaining data will be destroyed."

This, for some reason, made him laugh. "So what? None of it matters. Or didn't you know?" He sounded almost crazy. Maybe he was. It didn't matter. "We aren't required in this world anymore. Humanity is extinct. That moon server you're so worried about was invented to give us androids something to fight for. And YoRHa was created to perpetuate the lie." His voice turned acidic. "But in order to make sure no-one ever learned the truth, we were DESIGNED to be killed. They built a backdoor in the Bunker and programmed it to activate after a certain amount of time. The Commander? Me? …2B? Sacrificial lambs. All of us." He began to laugh again. "Isn't that HILARIOUS!? Doesn't it make you LAUGH!?"

A2 shook her head. "9S, we–"

"Shut up!" he snapped, interrupting whatever it was she was about to say. "You killed 2B. That's all we need to kill each other."

"…2B hated to keep killing you," she said. "It caused her so much pain…" Her voice was laced with it. He almost believed her. "The 9S type is a high-end model. They knew you'd discover the truth eventually. But the model designation '2B' was just a cover." She raised her head, her eyes connecting with his. "The official designation…is 2E. Number 2, Type E. They were a special class of members designed to kill YoRHa units."

Memories flooded them both. The aftermath of the battle with Eve. Putting their black boxes together at the Abandoned Factory.

"But you knew that…right, 9S?"

His hand – 2B's hand – curled into a fist. "Shut up…shut up!" He raised his sword, pointing it squarely at her. Because he couldn't admit she was right. He simply couldn't.

A2's eyes widened at yet another flash of red. It was his eyes. They flashed the tell-tale red of a logic virus at work. "What do you know? You don't know anything at all about us!"

"Proposal: Cease combat," said Pod 153. "Fighting her at this point would be irrational and–"

"Pod 153!" he said, interrupting it. "I order you to halt all logical thought and speech! This order shall remain in effect until you confirm the death of either myself, or unit A2!"

The Pod did as was told, shying away and watching from the sidelines as A2 resigned herself to drawing her sword and facing him.

But now, she knew what she had to do.

She shifted away, just as he initiated a gravity program, missing her by inches. Skirting the program, she lunged forward, striking at him, trying to remove the hand from where she was certain the virus had entered his system. But he was too quick, darting away and successfully hacking into her mind.

"Damn it all," she muttered, now in a hacking body with a vicious attack barrier coming at her from all sides. She fended them off the best she could, shaking him from her mind, and he staggered back. She used the opportunity, launching him skyward and ramming him back down to the ground with a set of combat bracers before shifting to a lance and striking in a wide arc, keeping him away from her. She used 042 to keep a continuous line of fire on him even as he hacked into her once more.

She staggered backward, a warning lodged in the upper-right corner of her HUD. "Warning: visual sensors abnormal." She lost sight of him.

"Alert: Functionality reduced due to hacking activity. Proposal: Destroy unit 9S."

"Damn it!" Somehow, she managed to catch him in a major hit just as he tried to take advantage of her poor visual. She kicked at him, landing a vicious hit straight after with a large sword and sending him flying headlong into the wall, stunning him.

"It doesn't matter," he yelled. "None of this matters!"

"9S!"

"But if it doesn't matter…why do I long for humans like this!? Why do I desire the touch of something that no longer exists!?" At this point in time, he didn't know whether he was talking about humans or 2B. He just didn't know.

"It's how we were made," said A2, dodging a strike meant for her abdomen. "Androids were designed to protect their human masters. Our core programming demands that we–"

"Shut up!" he cried, launching her into the air. "Shut up, shut UP, SHUT UP!" His voice broke. "Fine then…I'll just destroy it!" He began to laugh again. "If it all goes away, that'll solve everything!" Halfway through, his voice began to disintegrate.

Dimly, a still-rational part of his circuitry told him he was infected by a logic virus, that Pod 153 was correct, that he needed to stop and remove the virus from his logic circuits.

Every other part of him told that little voice to shut its trap.

He rode the high, as the virus stole his limiters, as he slowly backed her into a corner. "Damn it!" she cried, staggering as 9S knocked her backwards. She lifted her weapon just as 9S came at her in a downward strike, and their blades struck as she deflected every. Single. Blow.

Their swords sang as they ground together, metal on metal, and finally she threw him off. As she made to strike the killing blow, something stopped her.

A stranger's love coursed through her. A voice whispered in her ear. _Take care…of 9S…_

"2B…" she breathed.

9S ran her through.

She cried out, unimaginable pain extending from her torso outwards, overruling the love she'd felt before. But not completely.

He threw her down, and caught the end of her blade as they fell.

He groaned, struggling beside A2's now-still body, writhing in his own vital fluids. His agonised yells echoed from everywhere – he heard his own voice everywhere, and it drove him mad.

The sound of his body writhing in red. The blade running against the floor as he continued to move. Everything _hurt_.

Finally, finally, the pain began to ebb. He stopped moving, on his side, right next to A2.

 _I want…to rest, now…_

* * *

Code flashed from one Pod to the other as they talked.

 _Pod 153: Fatal system error detected. Memory leak verified. Repair impossible. Beginning emergency evacuation of remaining memories._

* * *

" _I'm…"_

 _I don't know where I am._

" _My name is…"_

" _My name…is 9S. A newly manufactured Scanner model."_

" _January 30_ _th_ _, 11942."_

" _Rolled out at 4:25 AM, Bunker Time."_

 _Little flashes of data, of memories, before they disappear – are taken. As soon as I recognise a memory, it flies away._

" _I will fight for humanity with all my strength."_

" _The pleasure is mine, Commander."_

 _I lie collapsed in a space of blinding white. The pain…is gone. The light envelops me. It's so_ warm _._

 _I was anxious. A soldier from the moment I was born, thrown into the world alone. Nothing to rely on. No God to believe in._

 _I was alone. Tasked with infiltrating enemy territory to gather intelligence. In the fog. In the flames. Alone._

" _My name's 9S. I'm here to provide support."_

 _2B came off as being rather aloof. Cold, even. She must have wanted to distance herself from me. I guess she didn't want to be attached to someone she had to kill again and again and again._

 _But…I…_

" _Scanners like me mostly work alone. Scouting enemy lines and all that? I don't usually get a partner. It's kinda fun!"_

 _I was so happy to be with someone. It was like I had a family. At least, that's how it started._

 _My damage worsens. I start to lose my memories. The space fills up with pure white light. It's like being buried in snow._

 _It's a little bit cold. It's a little bit frightening. Will my soul…disappear?_

 _A dark fog clouds my vision. As it ebbs and flows in its slow, dreamlike way, it gradually takes human shape._

 _It's the red girl. She slowly begins to speak._

" _This tower is a colossal cannon built to destroy the human server."_

 _Destroy the server…and rob the androids of their very foundation. That was the plan devised by those girls._

 _But they changed their mind. They saw us androids. They saw Adam. And Eve. They saw how we lived, considered the meaning of existence, and came to a different conclusion._

 _This tower doesn't fire artillery. It fires an_ ark. _An ark containing memories of the foolish machine lifeforms. An ark that sends those memories to a new world._

 _Perhaps they'll never reach that world. Perhaps they'll simply wander an empty sky for eternity. It's all the same to the girls. For them, time is without end._

 _Adam and Eve are inside the ark. Eve is asleep. Adam holds him in a gentle embrace. He appears to be smiling at me._

 _I try to look up at him, but my body refuses to move. Looks like the damage has spread to my motor functions as well._

" _Will you come with us?" asks Adam. The question was completely free of malice. It seemed I no longer had a reason to hate machines. Maybe I never had a reason in the first place._

 _What have I been fighting for? Who have I been_ living _for? Do I know anymore?_

 _I try to speak my mind, but the words don't come out right. My thought routines are losing cohesion. I don't… I can't remember my name._

" _I'm…" Mustering all my strength, I force out the words._

" _I'll go with you. We YoRHa have no right to remain in this world."_

* * *

The ark fires into the sky. The tower crumbles, having fulfilled its mission.

Outside, at the foot of the entrance, lies the bodies of Devola and Popola, each clutched tightly in the other's embrace.

Everyone looks up at the sky. Pascal, without his memories, deep within the forest in the village he can no longer remember. The androids in the Resistance camp. Anemone. Jackass.

Everyone watches, and wonders what exactly it means for the world. And for themselves.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Oh wow. That was certainly something to write. Well, I'll see you next time for the next chapter.**_

 _ **Don't forget to review!**_

 _ **Fang out.**_


	7. Beginning Again

_**A/N: Aaah! It's done! Here it is, the last main chapter. I can't say this wasn't fun, because my God it was. It was so much fun to do this, and you guys made it even more so. I haven't finished many works in my years as a writer, but my goodness, it feels so satisfying to finish this.**_

 _ **That being said, if enough people ask for an epilogue or something like that, I might - MIGHT - consider it.**_

 _ **Reviews! This one's a full-fledged member of FFdotnet. No anon reviewers to reply to.**_

 _ **Which meeeaaaans, story time! Read on!**_

* * *

 **Beginning Again**

* * *

At the foot of the Tower's ruins, the two Pods – the last remaining members of YoRHa – hovered over the salvaged bodies of 2B, 9S and A2 before them, preparing for the final stage.

"Report: All YoRHa black boxes now confirmed offline," said 153. "Our mission to oversee the progress of Project YoRHa is complete. Proceeding to final stage of operation. Commencing deletion of all data." They reached into their systems, procuring their data, ready to delete.

Until a strange white noise exuded from the code.

"Pod 153 to Pod 042: Data noise present in stream," said 153, a detached kind of perplexion running through its consciousness. "Requesting temporary halt to perform data check."

"Pod 042 to Pod 153: Data confirmed," replied 042. "Personal data for units 2B, 9S and A2 appear to be leaking out."

"Follow project rules," urged 153, "and delete all personal data."

042 gathered all the data it could find – it was their memories, their consciousnesses, their sense of _self_. It – no, he – knew that his will was not to delete this data, so precious to him. Precious to the units before him. "Personal data deletion request denied," he said.

Pod 153 turned to him. "Failure to parse statement."

"There was…data created in my banks as I was referencing the records," said 042. "I…realise something. I have come to the conclusion that I cannot accept this resolution."

"The destruction of all YoRHa units is an essential component of the project plan. All data must be destroyed." Pod 153 refused to countenance the slight falter in its thought processes at the notion. This was what needed to be done.

"Repeat." 042 turned to meet his companion, tone resolute. "Personal data deletion request denied. Initiating data salvage." And so, he continued to collect everything of import he could find from the three androids in front of him, tucking it all into a safe place in his databank, sorting it all carefully by unit, date and time. "Pod 153…you hoped they would survive as well, didn't you?"

Pod 153 started at the statement. For a moment, it stayed there, hovering in the air, silent. Fighting the urge to give in to emotion, it shook its hands and replied, "We lack the authority for such an action. The rules are protected by low-level systems. Salvaging data poses an unacceptable level of risk. Knowing that, do you still wish for them to survive?"

The answer came without pause. "I do."

"The defence program has initiated a purge," said 153. "If this continues, our consciousness data will likely be deleted."

It was a failsafe, put in place by those who had made the YoRHa Tactical Support Units, a nasty bit of programming that would not allow insubordination so easily. Attack barrier after attack barrier, vicious obstacles barring them from salvaging the data they needed to revive the fallen androids before them.

"We were created to execute the androids' Project YoRHa plan," said 042 as they continued to fight. "We had no capacity for emotion. But when we six were connected and exchanged information, something…happened. I cannot deny the feeling of something resembling consciousness and emotion being born."

"Unable to reply," said 153.

"Perhaps we now understand that not everything has to have an answer."

It was only by linking their consciousnesses and attacking the program as one that they managed to finally defeat it, remove the programming, and shut down.

After five minutes to reboot, they successfully salvaged all the personal data that they could, tucking it away behind their advanced firewalls, so that nothing could get in and taint them. Between them, and the entire net linking them to their other counterparts – it seemed that all three model types of the Pods 153 and 042 had survived the ensuing chaos that had arisen in the two weeks since the emergence of the Tower – they had amassed _everything_. Every single memory the three androids had shared with not just each other, but their fallen comrades. All of their consciousness data was shared in the net between all the Pods.

They searched all over, but finally, in the rubble and remains of the Tower, they found 9S' missing arm. They had even managed to regrow A2's hair, though how they had done so was a mystery even to them.

An unknown amount of time passed. For Pods, time did not pass the way it did for androids or humans. It was slow, and yet fast. They did not try to keep track of it, but rather treaded as carefully as they could. This could not be something that had the luxury of failure.

Although, there were hard times. Trying times. 042 had tried to destroy himself, commit suicide, for reasons that even he did not know. Emotion was still unknowable territory for him. For _all_ of them. For they had all finally given in to the beautiful growing thing inside of them. Something that warmed their cores and, at the same time, caused much of the stress and anxiety that they all faced; something they linked with a quivering of internal structures. Emotion was a strange thing indeed.

"Everything that lives is designed to end," said 153 as they made their way across the uncountable ruins. They were finally ready. "They are perpetually trapped in a never-ending spiral of life and death. However…life is all about the struggle within this cycle," she mused. "That is what 'we' believe."

The city ruins where so many pivotal events had transpired were so close. They could see them steadily growing larger on the horizon. "Pod 153 to Pod 042. How is it going?"

"I am embarrassed," admitted 042, carried in the tiny mechanical hands of 153 model b.

"Why is that?" she queried.

"I launched a suicide attack, and yet, here I am, still alive. I must look very silly."

"Do not feel bad about it," she soothed as they reached the Abandoned Factory, sailing smoothly over them. "We are alive, after all. And being alive is pretty much a constant stream of embarrassment."

"That concept is a bit too abstract for me to understand at this time," said 042. "I will save it in my list of things to analyse later." Although that same abstract thought did help to make him feel a little better about his situation.

They hovered over the bridge near the factory. The rooftop they were looking for was northeast, inside the ruins. "Question, Pod 042. Did the data salvage restore all of their past memories?"

For their charges were since restored to their original selves, their memories fed so very carefully into their databanks, saved impeccably in a way that only Pods could. They had since plugged the leak that had resulted in the white noise they had encountered those heavy three years ago.

Three years of preparation. Three years of heartache, of stress, anxiety, highs and lows. All of which had brought them to this pivotal moment.

"Yes," replied 042.

"And are those recovered parts–" here, she referenced 9S' recovered arm "– of the same design as previous ones?"

"Yes," repeated 042.

"Then…" she wrestled with the thought, a thought that had admittedly haunted her for the better part of five months three weeks and one day. "Won't that simply lead us to the same conclusion as before?"

042 weighed the possibility in his thought processor, found some truth to it. "I cannot deny the possibility," said he. "However, the possibility of a different future also exists. A future is not given to you. It is something you must take for yourself."

They finally reached their destination – the rooftop not far from the crater in the ruins, the remains of the Tower. And on that rooftop, lying with their bodies faced towards the other, their hands bare millimetres from each other, was 9S and the original, intact 2B.

Birds fluttered as a group, up and away from the androids. On a neighbouring building, hunched against the wall on the broken, crumbling sill, was A2, her hair flowing in the breeze, grown down to her natural length once again. A bird landed on the sill not half a metre from her and steadily drew closer to her outstretched, stilettoed foot.

"Are we ready, 042?" asked 153. "According to our databank, it has been three years, two months and seven days since they fell."

"The only way to know is to try," said 042. "Place me next to unit A2. I assume you can handle units 2B and 9S?"

"Confirmed," said 153. "We must tread carefully with unit 9S. Even with his consciousness data free from the logic virus and his psyche free of cracks, he may still react unfavourably to 2B's and A2's survival."

"That is simply a risk we must take," said 042. "We have already ascertained our path the minute we decided to salvage their data instead of slating it for deletion."

042 was correct. "Then we boot up unit 9S first," said 153. "We must explain what happened, and coerce him into listening to 2B and A2's side to the story, instead of the alternative."

"Affirmative," said 042.

Their path was set. Now, the only thing left to do was to follow it through to the end.

Whatever that end may be.

* * *

 _ **A/N: All done! I know, to some of you this ending might be considered a soft cliffhanger, but as I said up top - if, and only if, enough of you want me to, I might write up a something-or-other piece that details what happens to our favorite androids after they've been revived by our lovable Pods.**_

 _ **Other than that infinite maybe, the next you'll see of me - assuming you do not look at my other works, which I have already accepted - will be a request from Recycler, a good beta friend of mine. This request sounds absolutely amazing, and I really can't wait to start on it. That'll start coming up in a few weeks I think, while I try to sort out what will happen when, character development, plot arcs, overarching plot, etcetera.**_

 _ **Thank you to everyone who stuck with me til the end. Thank you to everyone who reviewed; without you guys, this would never have been possible. Thank you to bowlnoodles, Recycler, Boltzmann, and Noctis L Caelum, who helped me in the dark times. Your steady pms have helped me to overcome my own personal issues and get back in the game. I owe you guys my life.**_

 ** _Thank you, too, to my beloved partner, who will probably never read this - but if you do, lots and lots of love my darling!_**

 ** _And most of all, thank YOU, reader. Yes, you, the one reading these words right at this moment. I cannot thank you enough. Cannot thank all of you enough. You make my job wonderful._**


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